Another day of politicians using taxpayer funds to pay for things that do not benefit ordinary Americans.

While celebrating the ideals of democracy on Independence Day, it is essential to critically evaluate the state of our democracy in terms of recent developments, challenges, and areas for improvement.

As I enjoyed my Fourth of July, I thought about the thousands of innocent Ukrainian and Russians killed, maimed, and displaced by a war that appears to be started by neocons in the U.S. Government, primarily to line the pockets of politicians and the military-industrial complex. Not because I care so much about Ukraine as that is a European problem, but because American citizens are being bled dry by a conflict that appears to have no end.

Those damn neocons…

"Neocon" refers to neoconservatism, a political ideology associated with a particular approach to foreign policy and military intervention.

1. Overemphasis on military intervention: One of the main characteristics of neocons is its perceived overreliance on military force as a tool for advancing American interests leading to costly and prolonged engagement in conflicts that may not necessarily serve the long-term interests of the United States. I am still waiting for someone to tell me how the U.S. benefitted in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and elsewhere where we squandered billions of dollars, the lives of American soldiers, and megatons of military weaponry and ammunition.

2. Underestimation of consequences: The neocons often underestimate the potential consequences of military interventions, overlooking their short-term goals and regime change plans resulting in the rise of previously unknown extremist groups and creating power vacuums that our enemies exploit, posing a real threat to national security.

3. Financial and human costs: There is no doubt that neocon strategies divert resources away from domestic priorities, such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure, and result in a strain on the economy, not to mention the loss of American lives and the long-term impact on wounded and returning veterans, which is often tragic.

4. Damage to international reputation: Neocon strategies, particularly those involving unilateral military action, have damaged the government's credibility, both at home and abroad, as they lie about reasons and outcomes. I think the Ukraine conflict was primarily a needlessly aggressive and unilateral action that targeted Russia – pushing U.S. and NATO weaponry closer to Russia’s borders. Similar to the insult of the Russians placing nuclear arms in Cuba or the Chinese building an electronic warfare center 90 miles from Florida.

5. Shift from diplomacy: Neocon strategies appear to prioritize military action over diplomacy and negotiation, deliberately limiting opportunities for peaceful resolutions and neglecting the importance of building strong alliances and diplomatic channels to address international issues effectively.

Trump as a neocon target…

Notwithstanding his brash, reckless, narcissistic, and unconventional communication style, as well as his controversial statements and boorish behavior, political opinions and attitudes toward Trump, unlike any other political figure, faces unprecedented neocon opposition in the government s who realizes that he is pragmatic and views things in concrete dollars-and-cents options. Primarily, Trump views Ukraine as a European problem and an unnecessary provocation to Russia. Likewise, Trump is unwilling to compromise U.S. interests to China because he is not a direct or indirect recipient of Chinese largess, as are most members of Congress and industry.

DeSantis appears to be compromised by his large donors, considering the speed at which he disavowed his statements on Ukraine.

Fox News Calls Out Ron DeSantis for 'Flip-Flop' on Ukraine

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was called out on Sunday during a discussion on Fox News when one contributor accused him of flip-flopping regarding his recent comments about the war in Ukraine.

DeSantis, who is widely expected to announce a 2024 presidential run later this spring, received criticism last week for comments he made about Ukraine during an interview with Tucker Carlson, in which he called the Eastern European country's conflict with Russia "a territorial dispute" that the United States should avoid "becoming further entangled in." The reaction against those remarks was considerable and spanned both sides of the political aisle.

In an interview with Fox Nation host Piers Morgan on Thursday, DeSantis claimed that his earlier comments had been "mischaracterized." He added that by "a territorial dispute," he meant to describe the conflict as it is currently playing out in Eastern Ukraine. Additionally, he also said that Russia had no right to instigate the conflict with its invasion of Ukraine last February. <Source>

Bottom line…

The Fourth of July serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by previous generations to secure our freedoms. Expressing gratitude for the liberties we enjoy today means we must also recognize the ongoing work required to protect and expand our freedoms from a growingly repressive government of progressive communist democrats.

Preserving democracy and our way of life in the United States is of utmost importance for the stability and progress of the nation – and is unlikely to be rectified without a gross change in leadership and accountability and reconciliation of those who have sold out our country.

When will an American majority rise up and say NO? Tolerance for the intolerable is increasingly unacceptable and unforgivable as it leads down the path to destruction. It has allowed political corruption, increasing criminality, and gross incompetence in government.

We are so screwed.

-- Steve